Week 23 and counting

Mook says that i don't blog enough about baby bump. Well, i did invite him to write but then, i guess he is even more lazy than me. All he really wants to do is to take photos of my tummy but so far, i have been politely declining because he wants to do those Demi Moorish type of photos. *roll eyes*

Anyway, so far so good with baby bump. I am "showing" and i think it is because i have taken to wearing back my polo-tees instead of those 'roomy' shirts. People seems abit shock to see how obvious my tummy is but i think its just that i have been 'hiding' it quite well. Baby is not that big yet and it is not like i am shy to show my tummy, i just don't quite like the 'in between' stage where people can't quite discern if you are really pregnant or just fat. Now, since it is quite obvious that i am pregnant, so it's back to 'flaunting' it.

Baby bump been moving around quite actively at night and i am starting to feel the weight. I wonder how much more 'weight' i will have to carry by the time this pregnancy is over. Anyway, i am back to training at the gym and swimming once a week. My usual personal trainer has been quite good, working on building up my back and pelvic muscles (for bearing the extra weight and of course the delivery). Sessions has been quite relaxing since i can't go beyond heart rate of 140. After gym i will pop down for a swim at the condo... just relax and massage my muscles at the jacuzzi.

Quite the eng eng cheng cheng lifestyle. Hahaha no wonder people tell me to enjoy the pregnancy. I always wondered if pregnancy will bring with it some sense of enjoyable (not that i realize there is anything tangibly enjoyable about it) but it is really to enjoy myself before the endless waking up at night and caring for the baby once it's arrived. Anyway, 船到桥头，自然直。We will see how it all goes.

20 weeks and counting

Today i felt the baby kicking (or punching) and it was surreal. Now i know what others mean when they say its a feeling can't quite be mistaken. When it happened, i was just sitting at the computer doing my work for the afternoon's workshop. All of a sudden, there was this "poke" right at the bottom of my navel area. I nearly slided off my chair. Well, there have been instances over the last 2 weeks where i felt 'movements' but this was much more intense... and strange. Makes me wonder what baby is doing inside my tummy. Exercising?

Everyone has been advicing me to talk to baby. Mook talks to baby everyday by placing his face right next to my tummy (when he is not at reservist, that is). I told him to use a toilet roll as an amplifier so that baby can hear him clearly instead of all that muttering. I am still feeling a little funny having to talk to baby out loud though now is about time that baby is learning to discern different sounds. I do think to the baby alot but i guess it is not quite the same. Guess i will have to be abit more vocal.

Other advice i had recently including playing nursery rhymes and classical music for the baby, as well as look at cute baby pictures (for fairer skins and bigger eyes). But all i have been listening to are my Mayday's CDs (a rocker baby perhaps?) and chinese oldies. As for cute baby pictures... unfortunately i went to watch hellboy instead. It is not sceptism or anything... i guess i am just not a very.. erm.. kancheong sort of person. I haven't wanted to shop for maternity clothes and stuff, or buy baby things. Mook has more initiative when it comes to things like that. I am just prodding along, not quite frenzied by the imminent arrival of baby in 4 months time. Or perhaps the last minute bug will bite only at the.. well, last minute?

I wondered if there's anything wrong with me... not being kancheong that is. Now that all the tests and things turned out fine for baby, i am just relieved and happy. Those are the only things i really worried about. Guess, it could be my personality as well. Since when did i show much remote interest in shopping and buying things? That's why i have mook right? Still, perhaps it is time i take more action and stop being too laid back... maybe baby is also getting restless that i am not displaying some sort of obvious urgency for its arrival. *ouch*

Clothing Anxiety

Geez... i don't know what to wear...

Hmm more like i've got nothing to wear for work. Tried some of my friend's stuff, either too big (for later i guess) or not 'work-ish'. And my mom is not back yet.

Well. Baby Bump is getting bigger and showing. Colleague just came back and said, "Oooo so cute" and pat pat on my tummy. *peng san* Honest to god.. it is not _that_ big... is it? Maybe it is the two Mr bean pancakes i ate this morning :(

Mook has been wanting to take photos of the bump but i am feeling alittle bit down. Gosh, suddenly felt like i am all 'bump' and nothing else. He said it is for 'documentation' and evidence for Baby Bump to know where he came from. Well, not sure what's in it for me really... Do I really need to have reminders of a growing tummy? Perhaps some women might enjoy that, but i have never much like having my own photos taken... esp when they don't look that good. And as if photos are not bad enough, Mook actually would like to VIDEO the whole birthing process (ala more documentation). Why do i suddenly feel like one of his art work? Well, maybe in essence, he does feel like i am. I threatened to bite him if he brings a videocam anywhere near me when i am in hospital. I have a feeling i am most probably going to be not in very good mood during that time.

Ahh....

Growing Bump

Just back from Bintan and feeling like it was too short a holiday. Wish i could say that it was a nausea-free holiday but still managed to throw up like once a day. Not too bad already i guess but the return ferry was a bit rocky at the last 1/2 hour, so by the time i got home, i was getting all pukish again.

In all trip was fun. Not sure if baby bump had fun but it certainly has grown abit. So far i havent had the need to change my warerobe and still fitting into my regular stuff but the last two days, i definitely noted a pretty well-defined bump below the navel. Looks like i will have to start changing my pants soon. Thankfully a good friend pass me some of her maternity wear, and my mom just called to tell me that she picked out some work pants for me from Korea and China. Guess that about settles it for the clothing side of things.

People has been asking me about the gender of the baby which honestly, i still don't know. Doc said it may be possible to see something in the next appointment when baby is after four months old but i guess this kind of thing also depends on baby's 'mood'. As for our preference... aiya, as long as healthy, its okie boy or girl. That said, i think if its a girl, i may need more help because i am not sure if i am the 'pink and barbie' type of mummy, since "rough and tumble" is more my cup of tea due to my personality. Hahaha oh well.. no kids of mine will be playing with barbies anyway (mook did wondered if that will make them more 'deprived' *snort*).

The older folks all said that they don't really mind if boy or girl, but i think secretly they would all like to have a boy. As my dad said, if first child is a boy, that will be a lot less stress for the mother aka me, cos' after all, mook is the only son and eldest grandson of the family. Anyway, this kind of thing not up to us and in this day and age, frankly, i think everyone will be happy as long as both me and baby are fine. :)

Week 15

Couple of good news...

1) First trimester screening results came back and everything is fine. Both me and mook are relieve but we are also treating this with 平常心 because this is only one of the many worries and hurdles which we will have to go through. After all, developmental problems can happen anytime during pregnancy, during birth and after birth. Test for toxoplasmosis was also negative. I suspected as much since Ruskie is a house cat who doesnt mix with other felines and the only food he eats is premium cat biscuits. :P Blood sugar is abit low but that's normal since i was still throwing up alot when i did the blood tests.

2) My nausea is 'almost' gone. Hurray! Was throwing up 6-7 times a day last couple of weeks everytime i tried to put anything into my mouth (food or fluid). Now, its mostly in the evening, which means that i at least get to keep my lunch in. With more stable food intake, i am also starting to regain back my weight steadily. Good thing is i haven't had much food cravings. The only serious food cravings so far was once for 豆浆油条 and last night, for roast duck leg. Hopefully i will crave for more healthy stuff instead of all the oily and bad-for-health stuff. I try to eat healthier for lunch and mook has been making me eat fish, except the smell of fish really makes me gag and throw up. Yuck. Looks like those things i don't like before pregnancy, i STILL don't like while pregnant. Hahaha

3) I can finally go on a trip now that my first trimester is over. Mook is booking a short getaway for us at Angsana Resort and Spa in Bintan next week and i am so looking forward to it. Finally i get to chill out and go swimming now that i have more energy and less throwing up (hopefully it will stop altogether by next week). Crossing my fingers! I really need a break i think and so does Mook. Sigh...

Baby bump is 15 weeks old now and at the last scanning, it was 7cm and we could see the baby moving rather actively as the doc run the ultra-sound scanner around the tummy. The baby has distinct fingers and arms, and it was waving the arms about as the doc 'irritates' it trying to get a decent scan of its neck and spine. Heh heh heh.

Week 10

Week 10 and counting!

Been quite tired and pukish (as usual) but the last two days, by some odd miracle, i was feeling great. No sign of vomitting and i ate pretty well. That said, today i was back to my old self and nauseous again. Maybe it was that i slept really early on the two days i felt better. I am going to try that today and see if tomorrow i will be feeling better.

Work is tiring me out even though now i am done with lecturing. The marking of assignments however, has been a huge problem. I can't seem to focus on reading anything (even the newspaper) much less someone's assignment paper. I can't exactly do them during normal work hours because of.. well, normal work. And once i reached home, i am usually pukish and concussed. As for the weekends, I had to drag myself to do the marketing with mook and maid, though it often ended up with me throwing up by the roadside (i get car sick) while they go get what needs to be gotten. After which, i am concussed again for the afternoons till dinner time.

I wonder if all pregnancies are that tiring. Another colleague of mine seems fine and doesn't really puke much even though she, like me, is in the 1st trimester. However, she said she have awful cramps which i am thankful that i don't. Another friend shared similar fatigueness but there also those who don't seem to get so washed out like i am currently facing.

Anyway, mook has been really really good and helpful, such as volunteering to do most, if not all, the housework. I guess he feels really sorry for me everytime he see me run to the toilet and retch/throw up. Sometimes i feel sorry for myself too but i guess its all part and parcel of things so i am still coping.

Saturday 26th April

I brought baby bump to 'listen' to Mayday's Concert (of course, i am doing the watching). Wah.. feeling damn high but also damn tired. Used to be that i could stand and jump for 3 hours straight during their concert, but now, barely 15minutes and i am feeling giddy and tired, so had to sit down periodically. Chewing on antacids helped for a bit with the nausea but the fatigue is something i have no handle over. So here i am watching my idols having a whale of a time but at the same time feeling damn sick and wondering when the concert will be ending.

God, when will the 1st trimester be over?